Innholdsfortegnelse for 02-Aug-2018 i Horse & Hound

IT was thrilling to see Britain’s showjumping team up its game at Hickstead on Sunday under Di Lampard to secure second place in our home Nations Cup. This puts the Brits back in the hunt for a place at the final, although inclusion is still dependent on their fortunes in Dublin. Team member Amanda Derbyshire will not be a familiar name to non-core showjumping fans, having been based in the US riding for the Gochman family since 2010. But Amanda, who heralds from Lancashire, previously rode for Nick Skelton. She even took Big Star to his first show. Her presence in Europe and her availability for the British team is timely with World Equestrian Games selection imminent, and her performance for her country at Hickstead was standout. That is not…

REPERCUSSIONS of the extreme weather and hard ground have forced the cancellation of British Eventing’s (BE) Bicton and Horseheath August fixtures. Bicton, Devon, was to run from 17 to 19 August, but low entries on the ballot date meant the event was not “financially viable”. “We understand the weather has made it tough for competitors to get in their schooling and fitness preparation, plan competitions and so make early entries,” said organiser Helen West. “But with so many financial outlays at this point in the buildup, we simply cannot afford to run in August with entries as they are.” The venue has stepped in to hold a new event in the autumn to fill the gap left by the cancellation of Aldon in October, due to the sale of the…

VETS are calling on the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) to reverse its decision to ban the sale of a “vital” equine painkiller. On 26 July, the VMD suspended sales of all injectable forms of flunixin, the most commonly used painkiller for horses in surgery and suffering from colic, and other conditions. The British Equine Veterinary Association says this move was carried out without consultation with the profession, and is calling for it to be reversed for horses not destined for human consumption. “BEVA is fully supportive of all attempts to promote food safety, but flunixin is widely viewed as the gold-standard painkiller in horses and is commonly used in horses undergoing both elective and emergency surgery, for the crippling pain associated with laminitis and for severe forms of colic,” said…

Jockey Bryony Frost will be out of action longer than expected after her fall on 6 July. She sustained a fractured sternum, a liver tear and bruised pancreas, not just bruising as first thought. Eventer Piggy French set a record at Burgham International by finishing on 18.3 on Emerald Jonny to win the CIC*. It was the lowest finishing score in any FEI event so far this year. British-based French showjumper Daniel Delsart took a break from commentating at Hickstead to propose to girlfriend Victoria Wearing in the main arena. She said “yes”. Flat racing trainer Philip Hide is winding down his business. He said the prolonged dry spell made it hard to train the horses how he wanted, and he feels he cannot maintain the business going forwards. Jockey…

BILLY CONGO The stallion finished second in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup, his first major outing since Pippa Funnell took back the reins from husband William. James Whitaker and Glenavadra Brilliant took the win. Report, p46. TAWELFAN RED ROBIN The 12.3hh Welsh section C stallion who was renowned on the showing circuit has died aged 21. The pony’s victories included two wins at the Horse of the Year Show and a championship title at the Royal Welsh. JUSTIFY The US 2018 Triple Crown winner has been retired. Trainer Bob Baffert said the three-year-old colt had some swelling in a foreleg which “was not responding quickly enough” for an autumn campaign.…

A WHIFF of lavender could help calm horses in stressful situations, researchers have found. The study, published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, found that heart rate variability in the eight dressage horses involved in the trial was reduced while they were sniffing lavender oil. “The heart rate didn’t change; what changed is what’s called the parasympathetic component of heart rate variability,” explained study co-author Ann Baldwin, a professor of physiology and psychology at the University of Arizona, USA. “One of the parameters of heart rate variability is RMSSD [root mean square of successive differences], and that represents parasympathetic input, which is the relaxation part of the autonomic nervous system. “If RMSSD goes up, that indicates the horse is relaxed. We found that when the horses were sniffing…

CROWNING GLORY Sir — Regarding your article on the King George V and Queen Elizabeth II trophies at the Royal International (preview, 19 July), a couple of things occurred to me. The King George V Cup was won outright in the 1930s by Colonel Jack Talbot-Ponsonby and he very kindly re-presented it for annual competition. It is such an impressive cup — in my opinion, the greatest trophy in the world — and I’m sure anyone who’s ever won it will understand how it made me smile every night as I passed it on my way to bed for the years I was lucky to have it. Incidentally, my first memory of this competition was in 1958. While watching on TV, I noticed that the only English competitor in the…

PART-APPALOOSA mare Megan, 23, was in significant discomfort when she was admitted to Pool House Equine Clinic in April. Her heart and respiratory rates were high, there were no healthy noises emanating from her gut and strangulation of the colon was evident on rectal palpation. An exploratory laparotomy (surgical incision in the abdomen) revealed that the cause of the strangulation was a pedunculated lipoma. This was removed, along with approximately 2m of non-viable (dead) intestine. Although Megan suffered some temporary nerve complications as a result of lengthy surgery, she soon regained gut function and could return home for further rehab. “She has lived out for years, so we made a tiny paddock to allow her a few hours of fresh air and grazing every day,” says her owner Louise Porter,…

LAURA COLLETT LAURA COLLETT first sprung to prominence at junior and young rider level when collecting a clutch of medals for Great Britain. She went on to represent her country in seniors, notably at the 2015 Blair Castle European Championships where she finished in the top 15. Based at Salperton in Gloucestershire, Laura also has several four-star completions on her CV. TRAINING THE STARS I start asking my youngsters this question at the end of their four-year-old year. I take them cross-country schooling at one of the several facilities I’m lucky to have nearby at home in Cheltenham.…

Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup of Great Britain at the BHS Royal International Horse Show, The All England Jumping Course, Hickstead, West Sussex CHAMPION riding horse Diamonds Are Forever showed his love of Hickstead’s atmosphere and huge arena when he gained a second successive British Horse Society supreme, again claiming the coveted Winston Churchill Trophy. Annabel Jenks’ home-bred Diamond Hit nine-year-old provided his producers Team Hood with another well-deserved victory but while Allister claimed victory a year ago, it was his son Oliver (Oli) who took the reins this time. This was a notable double for Oli and “Freddie”, who landed the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) supreme title last October, when Allister had brought two horses through to the final. With driving rain sweeping across the Hickstead’s International…

MAKING my debut on the British Nations Cup dressage team and assessing the ride on some of the UK’s top hunters made for an extra special Royal International. People ask how I switch from one discipline to the other, but showing is in my blood. I know exactly what I want in a show hunter: a horse that turns everyone’s heads and gives a ride to equal its looks. A dressage horse will carry itself more than a show hunter, because a hunter won’t have had the same education, but there is an essential basic way of going. I want a correct, free-moving walk, trot and canter and a gallop powered by an engine that lets you keep up without being run off with. It was a joy to ride…

Leeman Family SHP (L Gaunt, D Machin) 153cm.— 1 & ch, S Dennison & R Helliwell’s Merrycorner Mister Bui; 2, C Charlesworth’s Chantilly Galway Girl; 3, Mrs Barnett’s Carnsdale Pure Genius. 143cm.— 1, K Fuge’s Stretcholt Roulette; 2, V Trice’s Little Miss Darcey; 3, C Morgan’s Tremarl Bumble Bee. 133cm.— 1, C Davies’ Greylands Maid At Sundown; 2, R Walker’s Millwood Kaiser Chief; 3, M Bettaney’s Scalacare Eclipse. 122cm.— 1 & res, H Till’s Greenwood Monsoon; 2, C Gould’s Greendown Jake; 3, L Goodyear’s Greendown Rene. Jackson Fine Homes intermediates (S Kivlochan, N Turner) 153cm SRT.— 1, V Russell’s Royal Stage; 2, C Dilasser’s Sutton Grange Lady Eleanor; 3, D Brereton’s Lindeth Quizzical. 158cm.— 1 & ch, E Wallace’s Forgeland Hyde Park; 2 & res, I Darcy’s Westerdale Regal Max;…

BSPS Heritage M&M ridden (T Milward, J Somerset).— 1, M Richardson’s Dunkery Wigeon; 2, J Green’s Dunmere Wood Ruff; 3, J Newbery’s Newoak Furious. sec A/B.— 1, S Roberts’ Colby Silver Sprite; 2, C Heywood’s Sarum Rio; 3 & res jun ch, H Grota’s Cadlanvalley Buzby. sec C/D.— 1 & res, D Groom’s Aleanto Bon’A Parte; 2, H Hird’s Saith Magical Ginger; 3, E Boardman’s Dyffryngwy Sir Picasso. Connemara/NF.— 1 & jnr ch, K Seedhouse’s Skellorn Prairie Starlight; 2, E Kivlochan’s Gloves Blakehill William; 3, S James’ Glenmore Gwennic. Fell/Dales/Highland.— 1, ch & sup, M Stanford’s Benbreac Of Crolia; 2, K Bowling-Hartenfeld’s Ruby Rose Of Strathmore; 3, S Sharp’s Waterside Black Magic. mini M&M (V Eggleston, M Jones) LR.— 1 & res, K Bhugal’s Dunmere Charlock; 2, J Doherty’s Cayberry…

CHARLEY BAXTER celebrated a first Royal International win when Christina Gillett’s Nijinski Diva topped her large plaited pony class. Charley is in her fourth season with the Stanley Grange Royal Appointment 11-year-old and they were maintaining good form after picking up a HOYS ticket courtesy of a recent win at North of England. “She loves showing and is happy going forward on any ground and in any weather. She had her ears pricked all the way and her floating trot is amazing,” said Charley.…

Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup of Great Britain at the BHS Royal International Horse Show, The All England Jumping Course, Hickstead, West Sussex BRITAIN strengthened their series standing when finishing a close second to Ireland in their home Nations Cup, following a thrilling battle that forced a jump-off. Di Lampard and Rodrigo Pessoa’s squads dominated throughout, completing each round with an eight-penalty score to finish with a fence in hand over nearest rivals Brazil. Britain’s Holly Smith (Hearts Destiny) and Ireland’s Anthony Condon (SFS Aristio) were elected for the concluding round, with Holly and the inexperienced but gifted nine-year-old to go first. She delivered a strong clear with this Heart Throb gelding — who was jumping working hunters and Foxhunter first rounds this time last year — to set a…

WE were disappointed not to win the Nations Cup after such a close competition but we’ll head to Dublin with a strong squad looking for revenge. Having just three team members after Scott Brash’s elimination at the water definitely put the pressure on the rest of us — he was gutted but we all understand how horses can show up the best people at the worst of times. Teams finished on higher penalties than in recent Nations Cups but, other than the horses who switched off to the water, there were no real bogey fences and none of them were struggling. If you jumped a good round you were rewarded and it was enjoyable to see a competition that wasn’t just about total perfection. All the familiar Hickstead elements were…

Burgham, Northumb SOME things in the eventing world are givens: there will be hills at Blair, a lake at Badminton and rain at Burgham. And so it came to pass. After weeks of no sign of the wet stuff and temperatures akin to those on a Greek island, wind and rain dominated proceedings at the event which has now firmly established itself as one of the north of England’s premier horse trials. Another given at Burgham is that Oliver Townend will feature prominently in the CIC prize-givings, and Oliver is nothing if not consistent. Rounding off what had been a very successful week, he headed north from Osborne House on the Isle of Wight to add the Newton Hall CIC3* and Howard Russell Construction CIC2* titles to his Burgham bounty.…

OI.— 1, CES Ballycar Chip (P Pytches) 28.6,0,2=30.6; 2, Lariats Sun (P Stockton) 31.1,0,0=31.1; 3, Maesmawr Fox (C Parro) 28,4,0=32. OIu21.— 1, Cooley Tanglewood (R Nesbitt) 35.9,0,0=35.9; 2, Fleetwood Mac V (C Round) 28,8,0=36; 3, Ardeevin Ruby (H Wright) 36.6,4,0=40.6. int.— 1, Santiago S (A Farrar-Fry) 29.8,4,0=33.8; 2, Serenade III (A Penny) 29.3,4,0.8=34.1; 3, JRP Kick On Casanova (C Parro) 30.7,4,0.4=35.1. ON.— 1, Freshman HH (A Penny) 29.3,8,0=37.3; 2, Foxcovert Grey (G Hopwell) 35.5,0,4.8=40.3; 3, Sand Storm II (H McCance) 28,4,10=42. nov sec I.— 1, Kings Rose (E King) 18.5,0,0=18.5; 2, Pauldarys Dun And Only (R Edge) 20,4,5.2=29.2; 3, Unis Midnight Illusion (T Cassells) 25.5,4,0.8=30.3. sec J.— 1, Langford Take The Biscuit (E King) 28.3,0,0=28.3; 2, Clooncalagy Knight (V Tuffs) 32,0,0=32; 3, Claragh Sonny (M Johnstone) 28.5,4,2.8=35.3. BE100plus.— 1, Zummertimes…

DAUNTSEY PARK (1) IN.— 1, Brookfield Quality (H Meade) 28.2,0,2=30.2; 2, Everlyne (B Woolven) 31.8,0,3.2=35; 3, Russeljacket (T Rogers) 30,0,6.8=36.8. ON.— 1, Lawa (A Hawker) 25.5,4,0=29.5; 2, My Lucky Day (A Bragg) 31.3,0,0=31.3; 3, Night Fury (T Bird) 30,0,2.4=32.4. nov sec L.— 1, Graphene (S Griffiths) 28.5,0,0=28.5; 2, Langaller Sea Fox (A Lucas) 34.3,0,0=34.3; 3, HHS Noble Call (P McCarthy) 30,4,1.2=35.2. sec M.— 1, Ziska (A Nicholson) 20.5,0,4=24.5; 2, Horace Slughorn (N Wilson) 27,0,4=31; 3, Dream Dragon (L Harwood) 27.5,0,3.6=31.1. sec N.— 1, Randalstown Quest (L Collett) 21,0,0=21; 2, Belona (A Nicholson) 25,4,1.6=30.6; 3, Carsonstown Do It Tomorrow (J Amos) 31.5,0,0=31.5. BE100open.— 1, Mandorior (E Fredericks) 29.3,0,0=29.3; 2, Lady Loxinia (R Cook) 30.3,0,0=30.3; 3, Elite Sunrise (C Faulkner) 31.5,0,0=31.5. BE100 sec F.— 1, El Nino V (G Leech) 26.3,0,0=26.3; 2,…

Port Royal Summer Regional Championships, East Yorks AMY WOODHEAD credited teamwork for helping her win the prix st georges (PSG) on Victoria and Sir John Peace’s stallion Branduardi, and the elementary gold on Emma Blundell’s Mount St John Zonetta (Zoe). “I was not overprepped,” she said, with some understatement. “I got injured when the lorry ramp dropped on me. I’m not out of the woods yet as I need an MRI scan on my shoulder, but I wasn’t going to miss out on the regionals.” “Luckily, I’ve got my team behind me; my mum and trainer Tracy and my stable jockey Jenny Martell have worked hard to get me here. They are completely involved with the horses’ training, both on the ground and riding them, so I’ve got great back-up.”…

25 July: CPEDI1*: gr II nov (C Potts, S Leitch, S Petty).— 1, Stady Boy (N South) GBR 64.86. gr IV nov (S Petty, C Potts S Leitch).— 1, Just Arisca (A Griffiths) GBR 67.18; 2, Hundon Lodger (S Davies) GBR 63.22; 3, Ronja (R Collins) GBR 62.01. gr V nov (S Petty, S Leitch, C Potts).— 1, Michael Angelo (J Dagley-Cleworth) GBR 63.39; 2, Jack (K Squires) GBR 58.39. CPEDI2*: gr I nov (M Robins, S Rodger, I Jansen).— 1, Dreamallo (C Sadlington) GBR 65.92; 2, Kilimazing Tiger Lily (R Crosby) GBR 65.67. gr II nov (C Potts, S Leitch, S Petty).— 1, Hibimona (E Douglas) GBR 69.57. gr III nov.— 1, Lordana TG (J Lishman) GBR 72.27; 2, Remi (A Shirtclifffe) GBR 71.53; 3, Zandokan II (E Kent)…

HOYS hunters (R Sharp, N Peel) workers.— 1, K Green’s The Prof; 2, V Mitson’s Royal Gent; 3, J Khayat’s AS Bagheera. l’wt.— 1, C Smith’s Proper Little Miss; 2, A Buckingham’s Drumconnick Diamond; 3, C Blair’s Equador. m’wt.— 1 & res, J Armstrong-Small’s Carlingfords King; 2, Mr & Mrs M Jerram’s About Town; 3, C Langrish’s Blushing Boy. h’wt.— 1 & ch, N Grubb’s Appledark Magic Touch; 2, K Chambers’ Pagestown Principal; 3, R Harper’s Orions Cruiser. sml (S Perham, R Mills).— 1, N Buckley’s Finns Rose; 2, N Radcliffe’s Mr Pimms; 3, S Try’s Gone With The Wind. ladies show horse (S Coward, S Perham).— 1, C West’s Volantis; 2, M Boulcott’s Bowland Lucky Slipper; 3, Orions Cruiser. riding horse (M Lawrence, C Yates) sml.— 1 & ch,…

HOYS, Cuddy in-hand (J Holderness-Roddam).— ch, G & E Verbaas’ Stougjeshoeve Escudo; res, G Rees’ Carn Nicholas Tom. M&M ridden Welsh (R Sutcliffe, P Boustead) A.— 1, E Blakely & T Armstrong’s Loneash Melanie; 2, D Campbell’s Moelwyn Mojo; 3, S Athey’s Stonedge Ser-y-Bore. sec B.— 1, H Parr’s Moelview Prince Charming; 2, A Holt’s Musbury Consortium; 3, B & M Simons’ Longhalves Lollapaloosa. sec C.— 1 & ch, E Ingram’s Llynhelyg Ianto; 2, M Dyson’s Neuaddparc Singsong; 3, I Pitman’s Hywi The Enforcer. sec D.— 1 & res, L Wigglesworth’s Renvarg The Mystic; 2, N Oldershaw-Glenn’s Larnleighs Express; 3, L Scott’s Cavyl Barley. M&M mini (T Hook, S Harries) LR.— 1 & ch, E Eynon’s Cefngorwydd Sioni; 2, J Sampson’s Coedana Shane; 3, A Ashworth’s Belchford Mari.FR.— 1 &…

BRITAIN was two seconds away from winning the home Nations Cup leg on Sunday (29 July) — but our “fantastic” second-place finish means qualifying for the series final is within reach. The competition, run for the first time on the Sunday of the Royal International Horse Show, went down to the wire, with both Ireland and Great Britain finishing on a total of 16 faults after two rounds. Holly Smith and Hearts Destiny delivered a foot-perfect clear in 43.39 seconds in a rare Nations Cup jump-off, to celebrations from the British camp. But Anthony Condon and SFS Aristio then crossed the line clear in 41.29 seconds to give Ireland the win. And although Britain is still in ninth place in European division one, four of those ahead of us —…

RINGWOOD COCKATOO Bettina Hoy’s former ride has been put down aged 27. The 2006 world team gold medallist also won Olympic team and individual gold at Athens 2004, before these were taken away as they had crossed the start line twice. GRAND MANOEUVRE Diana Chappell’s four-star eventer has been put down due to lameness aged 14, 10 weeks after retiring. Ridden by Nick Gauntlett and Laura Collett, he completed three Badmintons and the 2015 European Championships. DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER Annabel Jenks’ nine-year-old, ridden by Oliver Hood rather than his father Allister, took the supreme title at the Royal International for a second year and the champion riding horse for a third year. Report, p34.…

HANNAH’S CHARITY FUNDS RESEARCH GROUNDBREAKING research into a rare type of bone cancer has been launched thanks to Hannah’s Willberry Wonder Pony Charity. The charity, founded by eventer Hannah Francis who died two years ago from osteosarcoma aged 18, has awarded £230,000 to the University of Sheffield. The grant will be spent on research in hopes of identifying drugs that can be used alone or with chemotherapy. Miles Toulson-Clarke from the charity said: “Hannah’s overriding ambition was to ensure patients diagnosed with osteosarcoma didn’t have to endure the horrific treatment regime she went through and that hope could be provided. We’re immensely grateful to our supporters for making this possible and this is just the start of our research funding.” HUGE GRANT FOR RACING CENTRE THE National Heritage Centre for…

THE Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) has launched an urgent appeal in a bid to save three rare horse breeds from extinction. The charity has made a film to ask for help to support Shires, Clydesdales and Suffolks, whose numbers are “worryingly low”. Only 240 Shire, 199 Clydesdale and 25 Suffolk pedigree foals were born last year, and all three could be extinct in 10 years if action is not taken, it has been reported. The film explains in depth the contribution the breeds have made to Britain’s history, adding: “£375,000 will save these working-class heroes for ever; they still have work to do.” It concludes with scenes of heavy horses working with police and in forestry, in modern Britain. “These working class heavy horse heroes need our help now…

WALLACE THE GREAT The nation continues to embrace the wonder mule after his debut win — and even Radio 1 got on board, as DJs debated whether his life story would make a film. Mules on a Plane? Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Mule? (Geddit?) Star Wars: Revenge of the Mule? (That’s enough films, Ed.) A CHEEKY TIPPLE An H&H contingent was enjoying a rather good lunch at the Festival of Hunting (it would have been rude not to) when a call came on the officials’ walkie-talkie for first aid to the inter-hunt relay — just as another call came in for more rosé for the press table. Priorities… TRICKY JOBS An H&H-er trying to convey exactly how difficult she was finding a non-horse-related task chose the analogy: “It’s like…

DAVID has vivid memories of slogging up and down the hills at Gatcombe when he rode there. Those were pre-internet, pre-smartphone days and, if you wanted to see the scores, you had to walk all the way from the lorry park to the scoreboard in the secretary’s tent and then back again, repeatedly. Now he trains and manages the Slovenian eventing team who, against considerable odds and to their own amazement, have managed to qualify for the World Equestrian Games. They are using Gatcombe as a final trial, and David is flat-out course-walking, warming them up, problem-solving and dragging them away from the competitors’ drinks party before they get too hammered. Thank heavens he spotted the team coach of a rather more traditionally successful eventing nation whizzing about at Luhmühlen…

ANYONE who thinks polo players are elitist or snobby clearly hasn’t met Nina Clarkin. She’s the world number one female polo player — and the only woman to hold the maximum 10-goal handicap — but she also happens to be one of the loveliest riders I’ve interviewed: warm, chatty, honest and very funny. We’re drinking coffee in the garden of her Cotswold stone house — featuring stylish polo wallpaper and vintage hunting and racing prints — in a rare hour between matches, training and school runs. Nina has a game that afternoon, but it was actually one a few days earlier that is still at the front of her mind — her six-year-old daughter Elizabeth’s first-ever polo match. “She didn’t hit the ball in the whole match but she had…

Some horses lack confidence over ditches, so ensure you have a lead horse there if necessary. Don’t rush — both from the point of view of moving on to introduce another element too quickly or in terms of the pace as you tackle the combination. If you jump the ditch too fast, your horse can lull you into thinking that he is already confident when, in fact, it is the pace getting you over. Slow down and return to jump it in trot. The rider needs to sit up and be behind the movement, looking up and ahead. Keep a soft contact throughout, giving with your hands so that the horse has the use of his head and neck through the combination.…

A WELSH section A mare came to the fore in the NAF/NPS Mountain and Moorland (M&M) working hunter pony (WHP) championship. They secured the section title over the larger combinations, two of whom had wins at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) last season. Blackhill Imogen and her pilot Ruby Ward navigated a testing track, following up with an on-form championship performance to secure the top spot over Amy Smith and her ultra-consistent 2017 M&M working hunter pony of the year Laburnum Richard. Eleven-year-old Ruby, whose aunt Louise Lyons was working hunter champion on the morning of M&M WHP day, has inherited the family talent for jumping; her mother Kelly also produces working hunters. Bought from family friend Katie Lindsay-Brown three years ago, 10-year-old Imogen has had an impeccable season…

TWENTY-year-old Callum Potts began an amazing week at Hickstead with a bang — which ended in him taking home two wins and a second — when he took the amateur riding horse tricolours on his grandfather Ian Darcy’s home-bred small winner Westerdale Regal Max (right), last year’s winning large intermediate at Horse of the Year Show. Out of Ian’s middleweight hunter Minora Bay and by Willowcroft Regal Bronze, Max is also HOYS bound with Callum as an open riding horse. “I wasn’t expecting much here, but Max went like a dream and loved the big ring,” said Callum. “I think I milked my lap of honour a little.” The duo went on to take second in the exceeding 158cm intermediate class before going reserve. Callum then jumped on board the…

‘How am I supposed to get inside and back to that fence, especially on that big fella?’ JAMES WHITAKER REVEALS HIS DILEMMA IN THE QUEEN’S CUP GLENAVADRA BRILLIANT’S name will be etched on a second historic Hickstead trophy after he added the Queen Elizabeth II Cup to his 2016 Derby win. Ridden by James Whitaker — younger brother of victorious Derby jockey William — the 15-year-old Irish Sport Horse showed he could deliver speed as well as scope when he clocked the fastest of two double clears in a four-man concluding round. The Huddersfield rider ensured he was the first Whitaker to lay claim to the 69-year-old silverware when he braved an untried route inside the venue’s famous stone wall to an oxer three from home. The manoeuvre shaved…

HICKSTEAD had no rain for 58 days in the run up to the show, combined with an average daily temperature during June and July’s heatwave of 25°C. Between the Al Shira’aa Derby meeting and the BHS Royal International, the venue used its special licence to extract 9.7million litres of water from the stream that runs through the site to keep the main arena watered. There were extremes of weather during the week, with the mercury hitting 32.7°C on Friday, while 22.5mm of rain fell on Sunday. “Richard Hayden, who also looks after Dublin, helped us make improvements and the ground staff have been out watering at 1am, which is the best time,” said Hickstead director Edward Bunn. “We have the little river that runs through Hickstead so we used that…

CIC3*. —1, Ballaghmor Class (O Townend) 27.8,0,1.2=29.0; 2, One Two Many (N Wilson) 24.9,3,2.4=30.3; 3, Ciletto H (B Hobday) 31.5,0,2.4=33.9. CIC2*.—1, Tregilder (O Townend) 25.7,0,0=25.7; 2, Kilderrys Cougar Girl (I Taylor) 23.7,4,0=27.7; 3, Capels Hollow Drift (T Jackson) 28.4,0,0=28.4. CIC*.—1, Emerald Jonny (P French) 17.9,0,0.4=18.3; 2, Calvin II (G Spence) 21.1,4,0=25.1; 3, Guidaro (B Innes Kerr) 22.4,0,2.8=25.3. OI.—1, Dolley Whisper (F Reid-Warrilow) 28.9,0,0=29.9; 2, DHI Paparazzi (M Wright) 29.3,0,0=29.3; 3, OBOS Columbus (M Wright) 30.0,0,0=30.0. ON.—1, Winning Belle (E Chandler) 28.3,0,0=28.3; Gazelle Dwerse Hagan (A Wilkinson) 31.3,0,2.4=33.7; 3, Harry Robinson (P Brown) 31.3,4,0=35.3. nov sec D.—1, Penhill Celtic (G Ugolotti) 24.5,0,0=24.5; 2, Highlight K (J Bowman) 23.5,0,4.8=28.3; Rovie Rum (A Johnston) 25,4,0=29. sec E.—1, Homme D’Hotot M (A Clark) 21.3,0,2.8=24.1; 2, Striding Edge (M Davidson) 25.8,0,0=25.8; 3, Jumble (J Johnston-Harman)…

PHOEBE LOCKE’S under-21 OI winner Ardeo Fun Size (Twix) is owned by Eventing First PLC, a tailor-made investment scheme for event horses which utilises the Inland Revenue-approved Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS). “Without EIS we wouldn’t have been able to buy Twix,” said Phoebe. “Eventing First is going to enable us to buy other horses that we wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford.” The scheme, set up by Phoebe’s father Tony nine months ago, is termed the first of its kind in the eventing world, although in showjumping there is IN Showjumpers, which was founded and is run by Caroline Wilks. Eventing First PLC already boasts around a dozen investors, who will enjoy benefits such as tax breaks, as well as yard visits and corporate hospitality. Although at present Eventing First…

CCIJ*.— 1, Balllintoher Harry (L Crawford) 25,0,0=25; 2, Annaghmore Boomlander (E Nicol) 28.2,0,0=28.2; 3, Painted Moon II (A Carthy) 28.2,0,0=28.2. teams.— 1, South East; 2, South West; 3, Wales and West Midlands. CCIY*.— 1, Shadow Lad (D Crawford) 26.2,0,0=26.2; 2, Dont You Know (V Wilson) 32.4,0,0=32.4; 3, Tremlett (K Poole) 30.3,0,4=34.8. BE100 under-18 champs.— 1,Strike A Pose (E Jowett) 27.4,0,0=27.4; 2, Player (D Job) 28.1,0,0=28.1; 3, Mandorior (E Fredericks) 29.4,0.4,0=29.8. teams.— 1, South East; 2, South West; 3, Scotland. IN. — 1, Brooklyn Four Point (H Barnes) 31.4,0,0=31.4; 3, Sparkys Reflection (A Martin) 33,0,5.6=38.6; 3, Its Sharons Choice (H Stott) 32.3,4,2.4=38.7. nov sec S.— 1, Bob Cotton Bandit (L Birley) 30.5,4,5.2=39.7; 2, Bonhunt Bertie (S Grieve) 32.3,4,8.4=44.7; 3, Fruitloop (A Roberts) 31.8,6,10.4=48.2. sec T. — 1, Vivogue (L Greenhalgh) 29,4,0=33;…

ON.— 1, Mo Cuiske (A McLeod Scott) 29.5,0,0.4=29.9; 2, Howick Freedom (A Postolowsky) 29.8,0,0.4=30.2; 3, Arrowmands Diamond (I Vaughan-Jones) 31,0,0.4=31.4. nov sec O.— 1, Killags Clover Blade (N Dixon) 32,0,2.4=34.4; 2, Gambler VD Beekzijde (C Agar) 35.3,0,0=35.3; 3, Albertas Rose (V Bax) 28.8,0,7.2=36. sec P.— 1, Shannondale Aston (I Hogarth) 26.5,0,2.4=28.9; 2, King Creole VD N Ranch (L Wheeler) 27.8,0,2.4=30.2; 3, TS Shanghai (G Frow) 30,0,0.4=30.4. BE105 sec M.— 1, Churchside Reflection (J Watts) 29.8,0,0.4=30.2; 2, Bonoman (A Tysterman) 31.8,4,2.8=38.6; 3, Bansha Vendi (B Brasted-Watts) 35.8,4,0.8=40.6. sec N.— 1, Grantstown Joules (K McNab) 30.8,0,1.2=32; 2, Kiltycreighton Boy (E Frow) 31.3,4,0.4=35.7; 3, Mermonas Touch (K Pegrum) 28,4,5.2=37.2. BE100open.— 1, Eldyno (C Bridge) 20.3,0,2.4=22.7; 2, News For You (B Meningen) 26.5,0,0=26.5; 3, Hrony (A James) 31.5,0,0=31.5. BE100 sec I.— 1, Maid Of…

Hickstead CDI3*, West Sussex “THIS is the most exciting thing that’s happened to me,” declared Louise Bell, who led Great Britain to second place in the Nations Cup on her team debut. Former showing star Louise, who only took up dressage for a Horse & Hound challenge in 2011, has had many exciting moments in her equestrian career; she has been crowned supreme working hunter champion 15 times at Hickstead. But nothing compared with the feeling of being handed her senior Union flag ahead of her first Nations Cup team appearance for Britain. Things got even more exciting when Louise pulled off a superb grand prix to earn an international personal best of 71.67% and finish best of the Brits in second with the 12-year-old Into The Blue, who was…

Saracen Horse Feeds inter I gold (K Ratcliffe, J Robinson, H Bradley).— 1, Headmore Dream On (R Shipley) 65.53; 2, Laurentino (A Snape) 62.98; 3, Cranswicks Monopoly (E Chatterton) 59.74. Fairfax Saddles PSG.— 1, Branduardi (A Woodhead) 70.44; 2, Jazzed Up (L Edwards) 69.56; 3, Hawtins Werona (B Tate) 67.32. Equine Construction adv med 98 gold.— 1, Jazzed Up 71.23; 2, Hawtins Werona 68.99; 3, Valucio (L Marriott) 68.51. silv.— 1, Happy Hope II (A Sykes-Brown) 66.89; 2, Heartbreak (L Noble) 65.66; 3, Wanour S (J Sanderson) 65.53. Topspec med 76 gold (M Ruddock, S Staines, S Rodger).— 1, Classic Goldstrike (R Hughes) 69.32; 2, De Angelis II (F Brennan) 68.33; 3, Lordships Delusion (J Fearn) 67.66. silv.— 1, Belissimo (N Leak) 70.05; 2, Brook Petie (S Barker) 69.95; 3,…

AACHEN is like no other show — it’s similar to the World Equestrian Games (WEG) in the way it brings all the disciplines together. It’s like a horsey Disneyland, and would be one of the most intimidating places to ride, but also one of the most exhilarating. Because this year’s championship is in September rather than August, this show attracted most of the world’s top horses and carried even more significance as part of the selection process for WEG teams, compared to years where teams have already been chosen by mid-July. WEG isn’t just about medals, but also qualification for the Tokyo Olympics in 2022, which has a knock-on effect on the funding. Laura Graves threw down the gauntlet, and Verdades has everything it takes to win gold in Tryon.…

1m.— 1, Dream Cruise (A Wallace); 2, Ballingaddy Rover (J Davidson); 3, Noahs Lady ( Letham). Blue Chip pony newcomers.— 1, Quantro III (A McCullough); 2, Dexters The Boss (E Holland); 3, Orfelia VD Bisschop (C McFadden). Squibb Group pony Foxhunter.— 1, Family Affair II (R Proudley); 2, Ginger T ( M Potts Fowles); 3, Ardwholihabe Bouncer (M Stanley). 1.10m.— 1, Killack King (N Lockhead Anderson); 2, MJ (M Heaps); 3, Lackaghmore Avatar (L McNamara). 148cm.— 1, Dafina K (R Collins); 2, Silvee Dream (T McCoosh); 3, Miami Moonbeam (A Mauree). Scope Graham Heath 128/138cm h’cap.— 1&2, Coreys Princess & Playboy VD Zoetewei (T Kyle); 3, Ffynnonbach Sandman (L Bowen-Howard). rising stars.—1&2, Miss Daisy D & Ardfry Sherpa (J Stewart); 3, Dooneen After Shock (M Lawson). pony Brit nov.— 1,…

HORSE & HOUND has always been a must-read in our household. Growing up, it was the equestrian magazine I loved to read, not only to follow the results from the showing circuit, but also other disciplines, including my favourite passion at the time — hunting. I grew up in what I consider a “golden era” of showing. The season began with Leicester County Show and finished at the City of Leicester Show. The season was set out by the calendar and great county shows were not only a place of class competition, but also a fantastic day out for riders and owners alike. We would constantly see top combinations going head-to-head at major shows, such as Bramham, Shropshire and West, The Royal and East of England. In a sport that…

DRAMA teacher and show ring attire maker Hannah Parr could have at least practised containing her emotion for when her 12-year-old liver chestnut section B stallion Moelview Prince Charming (above) secured the HOYS section B class with Eiry Bonner. Hannah was also competing in the class on Moelview Prince Llewelyn who stood 11th. “He handled the atmosphere like a pro, even when the jockey decided to cry hysterically when his big brother won,” said Hannah. “Last year his son Balfour Prince Regent won this class, and his other son Moelview Moonstruck qualified for the Cuddy in-hand last week. The one and only time in eight and a half years that Robin, my other half, has ever groomed for us in the ring, and we go and qualify for HOYS,” she…

FRAGRANCE Another H&H-er was bemoaning the Eau de Dettol she continually wafts, owing to her discovery of its powers as post-exercise wash, fly repellent and general Elixir of Eternal Youth (the last one isn’t true, btw). Still, it’s better than what an equestrian could smell of, isn’t it? A JUDGE A top showing judge was rather annoyed when her very expensive jacket, bought for a wedding, was classed by dry-cleaners as “ruined”, after a heavily made-up pony brushed her in the ring. As if grassy slobber on white breeches wasn’t bad enough… BISCUITS A top international rider excused herself briefly on the phone, then apologised profusely as she’d had her mouth full — of carrot. You don’t get to that level by tucking into HobNobs and burgers, clearly.…

Sir — As the owner of a herd of elderly equines, every autumn I ask myself: “Should I put him through the winter?” And now, if we’re to believe the articles prophesying extremely hot summers, maybe I should be asking the same of summer. Long lazy summers grazing on the water meadows have become a battle against horse, deer and bot flies. The increased dust in the air is making it difficult for poor old lungs. Even getting the horses in at the crack of dawn involves beating off clouds of flies. There isn’t a repellent invented that can cope this year. I’ve seen many horses, turned out without shelter because it’s summer, desperately trying to get what shelter they can. However, with many fields fenced with just electric tape,…

Saracen Horse Feeds hunters l’wt (L Bell, A McDonald). — 1 & ch, J Day’s View Point; 2, Douglas & Harrod’s Man Of Honour; 3, P Duncan’s Ducketts Grove. m’wt (S Campbell, A McDonald).— 1, Mr & Mrs Burley’s It’s The Kings Speech; 2, D Harrod’s Bloomfield Valhalla; 3, Mr & Mrs Jerram’s About Town. h’wt (M Thomas, A McDonald).— 1 & res, J Day’s Patrick’s Choice; 2, J Marsden’s Twinshock Warrior; 3, The Queen’s Tower Bridge. ladies (S Boxhall, J La Four).— 1, N Wilkes’ Mexican Summer; 2, A Bevan’s Sydney III; 3, F Babington’s Seabourne Silent Valley. David Stennett sml (R Telford, V Gingell).— 1, C Farrow’s Ban View Scirocco; 2, O’Connell & Heath’s Bercham Dragonfly; 3, J Day’s Party Time. Charles Owen working hunter (M Ainsworth, J…

MIRANDA WALLACE had a unique dilemma when Forgeland Hyde Park (Will) qualified for the supreme riding horse and pony championships courtesy of tricolours as a hack with Jayne Ross (right) and an intermediate with Miranda herself. As Will could not contest both, Miranda gave the ride to Jayne. “Will is like a Formula 1 car to ride as he flows through his gears with smooth transitions at every pace,” she said. “Whatever you ask of him, he gives an immediate response. “I work in London, but I go to ride Will at Jayne’s at every opportunity and, although he likes to hack through Windsor Great Park, he much prefers to be on a lorry travelling to a show,” said Miranda, who headed a strong large show riding type line-up before…

EMOTIONS were running high for the connections of 16-year-old Harrison Taylor and the Connemara gelding Skellorn Prairie Starlight (right), who were pulled top of the Connemara and New Forest class and executed a foot-perfect performance to win. Harrison and Katy Seedhouse’s six-year-old are in their first season together. They went on to take the junior Heritage championship, open to the highest-placed young riders from the open classes. “He’s a pretty easy, low-maintenance pony but certainly has his quirks,” said Harrison’s mother Nicola. “We never believed in a million years that this would happen.” Harrison and Star are also HOYS-bound in both junior and open sections, after qualifying at Cheshire County Show and North of England respectively.…

Team Colosso BSPA piebald & skewbald horses (J Hunton, J Jefferson) l’wt plaited. — 1 & res, L Hood’s Springpond On The Razzle; 2, N Cooper’s Tullabeg Connection; 3, L Leeman’s Kellythorpes Master Key. middle/heavyweight.— 1, ch & sup, Bardo, Cook & Reynolds’ KBF Crescendo; 2, M Wood’s Doorleys Prince; 3, L Shields’ Bart. native, cob, traditional.— 1, C Lupton-Charlesworth’s The Magpie; 2 & jnr res, K Colosso’s Rockstone Raven; 3, T Veale’s Red Rock III. ponies (S Dinsdale, J Hart) sml plaited.— 1 & res, R McColl’s Hopgarden Playboy; 2, Mr & Mrs Airey’s Brookfarm Mr Chips; 3, B Carta’s Littlebyron Queen Of Hearts. lrg.— 1, C Baxter’s Nijinski Diva; 2, S Harrison’s Lostock Up To Date; 3, R Obbard’s Champlers Allsorts. sml native, cob, traditional.— 1, ch &…

Amateur riding horse (S Stephenson, J La Four) sml.—1 & ch, I Darcy’s Westerdale Regal Max; 2 & res, P Duncan’s Kilnamona Glen; 3, G Allen’s Helsington Tailor Made. lrg.— 1, J Saddler Stace’s Tom Dooley; 2, V Goodier’s No Fingerprints; 3, H Rothwell’s Happy Valentine. Polly Coles amateur hunters (J Bates, B Sturgis) sml.— 1, I Mollard’s Secret Times II; 2, H Binks’ Wycliffe; 3, S Cowley’s Miracle Mickey. l’wt.— 1 & ch, C Stowell-Davies’ Glenkeeran Dance In The Deep; 2, D Stennett’s Time 2 Reflect; 3, F Babington’s Seabourne Silent Valley. m’wt.— 1 & res, I Darcy’s Romanno Royale; 2, S Neachell’s Chasing Rainbows; 3, V Mitson’s Alfie Connor. h’wt. .— 1, H Cowley’s Dragons Den; 2, K Mowat’s Ballarin The Conqueror; 3, R Maxwell’s The Parishioner. O’Reilly…

SHANE BREEN rarely misses the opportunity to score on his home turf and he put in a determined performance with Team Z7’s hugely versatile Can Ya Makan to claim the €8,000 (£7,130) British speed classic. Jumping 16th of 20 hopefuls, Shane overturned the British dominance at the top of the leaderboard as he nipped 0.12sec off William Whitaker’s leading time with the Irish gelding Lammy Beach. Just 0.17sec separated the top three placings at close of play, with Nigel Coupe and his former Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) speed horse of the year Jubilee III finishing in close third. “I dropped him down for this today, it was obviously a quick class but I was pretty confident that I could beat William,” said Shane. “It’s well within Can Ya…

PAUL TAPNER has had a year to hone his assault on the MS Amlin eventers’ challenge — and his precision tactics paid off when he piloted Bonza King Of Rouges to an emphatic second victory. The Australian obliterated the opposition to finish 4.25sec in front — 7sec faster than his previous winning time. “Elizabeth [Power, 2016 winner with Doonaveeragh O One] has been ribbing me for the past 12 months saying if she was riding last year she would have beaten me as she was 7sec faster,” said Paul, who landed the first double since the event’s format change in 2015. “I’ve had time to prepare and knew exactly what I needed to do.” The gate at the second is influential on this course, falling for a quarter of the…

“THE dry weather posed quite a challenge,” admitted event director Martyn Johnson, “but we’ve been using a verti-drainer and agri-vator to really open up the ground so that when we watered it, and when it rained, it didn’t just sit on the surface. We’ve had to be careful with the amount of water we used, but we’ve been watering the arenas for the past three weeks. “David Evans is also very experienced and meticulous in preparing the ground on his cross-country tracks and the landowners Stephen and Peter Hogg have been instrumental in helping ensure the ground was well-prepared.”…

OI.— 1, Leonidas II (M Todd) 26.4,0,1.6=28; 2, Argentinus (V Panizzon) 28.9,4,0=32.9; 3, Lady Moylisha (S Squires) 33.2,0,2=35.2. OIu21.— 1, Ardeo Fun Size (P Locke) 29.1,4,9.6=42.7; 2, Bambino De Lilatte (P Torlonia) 32.5,0,41.6=74.1; 3, Rooney Bay (G Ewell) 44.3,9,128.8=182.1. int sec H.— 1, King Of The Mill (A Bragg) 34.3,0,0=34.3; 2, Blue Boy II (L Blunt) 27.1,1,8.8=36.9; 3, Corriebeg Vivendi (F Scala) 35.2,0,5.2=40.4. sec I.— 1, Ferdi II (D Reader) 29.8,0,0=29.8; 2, Everlyne (B Woolven) 30.2,0,2.4=32.6; 3, My Lucky Day (A Bragg) 33.9,0,0=33.9. ON.— 1, Kato Ridge (J-L Day) 31.8,0,0=31.8; 2, Faere Spirit (L Andresen) 31.8,0,0=31.8; 3, Dancing Hero VII (K Raybould) 33.5,0,2.4=35.9. nov sec B.— 1, Hisco (A Whewall) 30.3,0,3.2=33.5; 2, Monbeg Odyssey (G Strang) 28.8,0,5.6=34.4; 3, Are You With Me (L Kerr) 34.8,0,0=34.8. sec C.— 1, Wellan Graffiti…

Cholmondeley Castle, Cheshire PATRICIA PYTCHES, 60, claimed an open intermediate (OI) win for the first time this century. Patricia has seen more changes than most as eventing has developed through her career, and had virtually given up riding after losing confidence until CES Ballycar Chip came along. “It was Vere and Clea Phillipps who persuaded me to look at this horse, but I never thought I’d still be doing this now,” explained a delighted Patricia, who has ridden up to four-star level previously. The Chippison gelding has been competing at three-star and advanced level in recent seasons. “I’ve never got near the time with him so to get just two penalties today was a bit of a result,” she added. “He’s off to Hartpury and then Millstreet and hopefully that…

THE inaugural fixture at Osborne House was a great success. As with all new events, there are tweaks to be made, and Stuart Buntine’s organising team and event chairman and initiator Diana Bown will know that. But they did a fantastic job for a first shot. The venue is beyond beautiful and made for horse trials, with perfect sites for all phases within spitting distance of Queen Victoria’s mansion. The flat Durbar Lawn is ideal for dressage and showjumping — a 20x60m arena could just be squeezed between the gravel paths — and had been well watered to provide good going. The cross-country was surprisingly hilly, with brilliant views across the course and down to the sea. The ground wasn’t perfect, but no one is really expecting that in this…

BE100open.— 1, Ajax HZ (P McCarthy) 22.8,1,0=23.8; 2, Granncord (A Bleekman) 28.5,0,0=28.5; 3, CHS Burtonport (T Cheffings) 28.8,0,0=28.8. BE100.— 1, Well Deserved (S Davey) 27,0,0=27; 2, Oathill Viscount (V Walton) 27.8,0,=27.8; 3, Sunkissed (E Heighway) 24.5,4,0=28.5. BE90open.— 1, Jannimesa Jewel (J Bleekman) 28.5,0,4.8=33.3; 2, Cassis (B Vinton) 33.5,0,0=33.5; 3, Russett Gold II (S Byrne) 32.3,0,1.2=33.5. BE90 sec A.— 1, Fairways Lord Of The Ring (M Northmore) 20.5,0,2=22.5; 2, Helen Of High Cove (E Chown) 24.5,0,0=24.5; 3, Fuegos Gilly Flower (L Cheffings) 25.8,0,0=25.8. sec B.— 1, Drayford Charisma (S Proudfoot) 23.8,0,0.8=24.6; 2, Knockenpower Rory (H Pavey) 24,0,1.6=25.6; 3, For Ever (A Reeve) 24.5,0,2=26.5. BE80(T) sec D.— 1, Willy Wonker II (L Luxton) 29.5,0,0.4=29.9; 2, Holywell Cavaliers Pride (J Lo-Vel) 25.5,7,0.4=32.9; 3, Sir Perciual Granger (N Aldridge) 35,0,0=35. sec E.— 1, Galando…

26 July: CDI2* PSG (L Anderson, C Halsall, E de Wolff van Westerrode, T Karkkolainen, S Hoevenaars). — 1, Don Caledonia (H Biggs) GBR 71.24; 2, Headmore Davina (A Oppenheimer) GBR 70.47; 3, Sirocco (K Cowell) GBR 70.38. CDI2* inter A (G Svalling, T Asmyr, P Engel).— 1, Radondo (A Holzer) USA 68.38; 2, San Andreas (R Boendergaard) DEN 68.04; 3, Dragon Heart (W Kemp) GBR 67.94. YR team (T Asmyr, G Svalling, J van Daele).— 1, Extra Time (L Amy) GBR 70.05; 2, Bing (I Berrington) GBR 69.85; 3, Labiat (A Barton) GBR 68.09. jnr team (P Engel, L Anderson, G Svalling).— 1, Rocky’s Sunshine (H Schmidt) GBR 71.31; 2, For Season (L Kuropatwa) GBR 69.55; 3, Lime Walk (E Bond) GBR 67.02. pony team (T Karkkolainen, S Hoevenaars,…

20 July: Connolly’s Red Mills newcomers.— 1, One Day IV (A Von Essen); 2, F Kwanah IS (C Horne); 3, Millfield Cloe (B Thompson). 1.10m.— 1, Hollins Enesco (L Madden); 2, Little Lusario (J Andrews); 3, Wheeto (A Dobson). national 1.30m.— 1 & 2, Chantal V & Newton Tigra (M Allen); 3, D Millfield Darin (J Andrews). Equitop Myoplast Foxhunter.— 1, Millfield Cascade (B Thompson); 2, Highcross Violet (R Murphy); 3, Groome (J Parkinson). national 1.40m.— 1, Ayrton IV (J Andrews); 2, Dalton W (P Barker); 3, Newbridges Chablis SW (R Murphy). power & speed.— 1 & 2, Lux Fabulous & Cartouche II (P Barker); 3, Willandre E (A Burchmore-Eames). 21 July: 1.30m.— 1, Special Warrior (L Whitaker); 2, For Flavour Z (K Clarke); 3, Centino Gold (L Stephenson). 1m.—…

HOW often does something sensational hit the headlines and then disappear from sight? So it would seem with Warmblood Foal Fragile Syndrome (WFFS), a nasty genetic disease with no cure, meaning affected foals have to be euthanised. While it may seem that the topic has gone away, of course that is not the case. It is right now being carried in the genes of the sport horse stallions and mares around the world, and that includes horses in the UK. Breeders should not be complacent just because the headlines have subsided. Now is the time to be taking action, to ensure that next season everyone can make the correct choices for their 2020 crop of foals. All stallions in the UK should be tested to see whether they carry the…

JUST five weeks earlier, Sally Carpenter’s lovely home-bred and home-produced riding horse, Rizzini B, succumbed to a severe lung infection. After dedicated care and nursing, he has made a successful return to the ring. The pair won their class here for the second year running, booking their return to HOYS — where the horse was fifth last year on his debut with Leon King — and went on to stand reserve. “The problems started after a choke incident on the lorry while travelling to Lincoln, but my vet was straight on the case,” said a relieved Sally, champion here with him last year. “He was very poorly indeed and there’s always a risk of having secondary problems, but thankfully he seems to have made a full recovery. We were very…

Royal Welsh, Powys OUT of 3,141 catalogued entries, the six-year-old chestnut Welsh part-bred, Penstrumbly Our Latif (Tiff ) — who was orphaned at three days old — claimed the show hunter pony, supreme ridden and overall supreme of show. Major General Matthew Skyes, who judged the overall supreme, said: “The way it was ridden and moved placed it ahead of the others.” Bred by Kath Hall from Pembrokeshire, Our Latif is owned by David Thomas and Shereen Thomas-Moore and ridden by daughter Tori from Birchgrove, Swansea. “We immediately fell in love with Tiff when we first saw him as a foal winning at the Welsh Winter Fair,” said Shereen. “Just under a year ago Tori was asked to ride him at a few shows and she jumped at the chance.…